


hairdos and buns and what have you

by orphan_account



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: F/M, Fem!Eren, I guess there is riren if you squint, Rule 63, i feel like this is platonic?, tumblr repost
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-23
Updated: 2013-10-23
Packaged: 2017-12-30 06:36:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1015345
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"It’s when she came back from the bath that Levi saw it."</p><p>--</p><p>Eren ties her hair in a bun everyday, but stopped after she joined the Scouting Legion. It interferes with her sparring, so Levi decides something has to be done.</p>
            </blockquote>





	hairdos and buns and what have you

The first time he noticed it was after they deemed her safe enough to not be kept in a dungeon anymore, and assigned her to join the Scouting Legion under Levi’s supervision. The Military Police had unlocked Eren then, unshackled her, told her to bathe (because she hadn’t been allowed to for a while).

It’s when she came back from the bath that Levi saw it.

Saw the auburn-colored hair flowing in wisps behind her, free and swaying lightly with each step as she walked down the halls of the headquarters, her head bobbing in a nod as she listened to Petra speak to her.

Eren hadn’t tied her hair up in a bun.

—

The first time Levi actually did something about it was not until quite a while later.

They’d gotten over the spoon incident, now trusting that she wouldn’t transform during a spar (and trusting that she would not hurt them, if it came to that) and had let her do sparring practice with Petra, mostly.

(Eren had scowled and insisted she be allowed to spar with Gunther or Auruo too,  _or even Corporal Levi!_ The suggestion was met with laughter from Hanji and amused looks from everyone else.)

Eren and Petra had been on equal footing then, until Eren’s long hair fluttered right in front of her face, throwing her off-kilter and allowing Petra to take advantage of the opening and gain the upper hand.

"Eren, are you okay?" Petra asked her, outstretching a hand towards the titan shifter.

"Yeah." She nodded, smiling sheepishly and awkwardly brushing her fringe behind her ears. "I was surprised, that’s all."

Levi, who had been watching the exchange, only stared silently at the two women, now laughing and walking towards the stables to clean them.

He turned and walked away.

—-

That night, Levi escorted Eren to her cell after dinner. The cell was now merely a part of formalities, a farce they had kept up. Her legs weren’t shackled anymore.

"Eren." He addressed her as they walked down the stairs. "About this morning."

"Yes, Corporal?" Eren turned to her superior officer. Was it something she did?

They walked into Eren’s holding cell, the young girl moving towards her bed, auburn hair still fluttering and flowing free. It made Levi frown slightly.

"During sparring with Petra." Levi clarified. "Your hair got in the way, didn’t it?"

There was a slight but sudden tension in the air. Eren didn’t answer, but after a while she nodded.

"Yeah." was her answer. "Corporal." she added as an afterthought, realizing that she’d dropped his rank. Levi didn’t admonish her for it, however, jumping right to the core of his inquiry.

"You had it tied in a bun." He pointed out, not beating around the bush. "During your trainee days."

Eren laughed, but the sound is strained; almost pinched. "Have you been watching me, Corporal?"

Levi scowled. "No, you moron. Before the trial your hair was in a bun. That must have been the way your hair usually is during trainee days. It's called an inductive leap, brat. Good attempt at derailing from the conversation, though. Now answer me, are you too lazy to put your hair up now?"

Eren looked at anywhere but Levi, her green eyes darting in the dim light, chasing the soft flicker of the shadow projected from the candle before settling on her feet instead.

"...I can't tie my hair, Corporal."

Levi blinked. Then blinked again.

"Are you shitting me."

"No, Corporal."

"But you do usually put your hair up in a bun."

"Yes, Corporal."

"Then how?"

Eren moved to sit down at the edge of the bed, eyes still averted from the Corporal.

"Mikasa ties it up for me."

"Tch, should've known Ackerman did it for you. How'd you deal with your hair when Ackerman wasn't around?"

He'd meant that as an offhand comment, and he hadn't expected the answer that came from Eren's mouth.

"My mom, Corporal. After..." she trailed off, shook her head (causing her hair to sway too) and sighed. "After that, Mikasa does it for me. Says I should learn how to do it myself, but it's never tidy and I didn't want to. Guess she's right."

_...Shit. Shit, shit, fucking shit._

_I, Lance Corporal Levi, opened a fucking can of worms._

"Oh."

_Very articulate, Levi._

"Yeah." Eren mumbled.

Levi turned and walked out the holding cell without saying anything else but a hurried "Good night, Yeager."

He almost forgot to lock it.

\--

"Hanji, Petra."

"Yes?"

"You both are girls. Do me a favor."

\--

"Eren."

The brunette craned her neck towards the voice calling her name, finding it to be her own superior officer.

"Corporal?" She questioned. "Why do you have a hair band in your hands?"

"Just sit down and face away from me, Eren, it's an order."

\--

"Ow, Corporal." Eren grumbled, her voice bordering on whining now. "That hurts, don't-- ow! S-slow down!"

"Shut up, brat." He hissed, tugging on Eren's hair for the umpteenth time and "yanking it too hard", apparently. Why is this so difficult, anyway? When Hanji and Petra had shown him, and it looked pretty simple.

"Ow, Corporal, what are you doing to my hair, I'm sorry I can't tie it up myself!" Eren glared; but seeing as how he was facing away from Levi, the glare didn't quite reach its intended recipient.

"Just shut the hell up." He growled and combed through her hair again, restarting the bun yet again.

This had been going on for the last half hour now, Eren sitting on her bed in the holding cell and Levi frustratedly attempting to do her hair for her. After a few more attempts, Levi finally managed to comb her hair gently but with just enough force to straighten the knots in her tangled hair.

Running the comb through her hair, Levi couldn't help but enjoy the feeling of the strands running through the comb, reaching out to touch it himself.

"Not bad." he murmured, carding his fingers through the hair absentmindedly.

"C-Corporal?" Eren squeaked.

Levi jolted, then pulled his hand away like he'd been burned. "What." He glared at Eren, as if daring her to mention what he'd done earlier.

"N-nothing! Nothing, nothing at all!" Eren laughed nervously. God, she felt like her heart was simultaneously working double-time and stuttering. Levi chose not to grace that with an answer, but rather pulled Eren's hair up in a bun, tied it up-- and success.

...As close as it can get to success, at least.

The bun was skewed to the right, but it held, by some miracle. Levi had looked at Eren, and had to look away to hide a laugh.

The effort proved futile as a small chuckle escaped him.

"Corporal, what did you do to my hair!?"

Levi handed him Petra's mirror.

Needless to say, both of them dissolved into peals of laughter afterwards; Eren into a fit of giggles, and Levi chuckling into his hand.

\--

When Levi escorted Eren to her cell again that night, she was smiling widely her grin threatened to split her face in half; the first time since she came to the Scouting Legion.

"Corporal?"

His face remained flat, but there are remnants of mirth glowing in his eyes. "What, brat?"

"I...thank you, Corporal."

Levi didn't dignify that with a response, either, instead getting up to leave the cell.

"...Why?"

This time, he turned to answer her.

"Why what?"

"Why did you do my hair for me?"

"Because your hair gets in the way of sparring. Good night, Eren."

In the dim candlelight, Eren's eyes caught a ghost of a smile on her Corporal's face, prompting her own lips to mirror it.

"Good night, Corporal."

\---

**Author's Note:**

> fuck this it started out p cute
> 
> and this is it my first actual SNK contribution
> 
> kudos and a little comment (maybe) if you liked it? c:


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